Awning control means



June 26, 1923.

J. R. MACLEAR AWNING CONTROL MEANS Filed Oct. G, 1922 ma@ u Patented .lune Z6, i923.

i ,i il 1. )l

JAMES R. MACLEAR, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK n. ASHLEY, or

DENVER, COLORADO.

AWNIN G CONTROL MEANS.

Application filedv October 6, 1922. Serial No. 592,924.

To all uf-7mm it may concern Be it known that l, JAMESv R. MACLEAR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of 482 So. Corona St., Denver, county of Denver, Colo., have invented an Improvement in Awning Control Means, of which the following description, in connecl tion with the accompanying drawings, is a specilication, like letters on 4t-he drawings representing like parts.

My present invention relates to awnings, and more particularly to an improved controlling and' operating mechanism therefor.

Heretofore considerable diiiiculty has been experienced in operating; that is, raising and lowering awnings, and particularly large awnings as, due to the heavy weight of such awnings, it has been difficult to safely and easily operate the controlling mechanism. Such prior mechanism are so slow operating as to be ineflicient, and regardless of the type heretofore used it has been seemingly impossible to devise a locking mech# anism that will efiiciently lock the operating mechanism, and therefore the awning, in any`desired position, while yet capable of being readily unlocked and locked. Fur ther, prior types of operating mechanism have been operable only from the outside of a building or other structure on which the awning is located although it is ex tremely desirable that such mechanism be operative from the inside of a building, it being understood, of course, that the operatinv mechanism proper be situated on the outside of the building to avoid complexity y of construction. i i

In my present invention l have obviated the objections of prior apparatus of this type and have designed a structure that may be operated equally well from the outside and the inside of a building or other structure and in which the mechanism may be locked securely in any desired position and readily unlocked when it is desired to change the position of the awning and also a structure in which the operating crank, which is the usualimeans of operating such structure, may be removed from the device to prevent tampering with the device by unauthorized persons.

The principal object of my invention is an improved awning operating device adapted particularly for operating heavy awnings.

Another object of my invention is an im-` proved operating device adapted to be located on the outside of a building and opA erable either from the inside or outside of' a building. l

Other objects and novel features of the construction and arrangement of parts comprising the same will be apparent as the description of the invention progresses.` r n In the accompanying drawings illustratlng the preferred embodiment of ,my inventionp Fig. ly is a side and the operating Fig. 2 is a front mechanism, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, l0 designates a side wall of a building such, for instance, as that portion of a wall adjacent to a large door or storey window, and on the outside of such building is secured a member 11 to Which is pivotally attached a frame 12 on which is mounted an awningl, the upper edge of this awning being secured to the Wall l0 on the line 14 in any convenient manner. Secured to the front end of the frame 12 at the point 15 are operating cords 16, it being assumed that the awning 13 is of such size and weight as to require a plurality of operating cords, and these cords pass over a pulley'or pulleys 1T secured to the wall 10 adjacent the line 14 and pass elevation of an awning mechanism therefor; elevation of the operating downwardly through a guideway 18 also secured to such wall 10, and the ends of such operating cords 16 are secured to a drum 19. This drum 19 is securely fastened on a shaft 2O rotatably mounted in back and front plates 21 andv 22 respectively, of an enclosing box, the box being provided with. a bottom plate 23. ln the preferred form of my invention 'the back and front plates 21 and 22 and the bottom plate 23 are cast integral with each other to form a housing for the drum 19, as above noted. Thisfboxv is providedwith a cover 24 secured to the box in any suitablexmanner, and is provide'd'with an elongated slot 25 t-o allow lateral movementfof the cords 16 as such cords are laid onto, and paid off from, the drum 19, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. Secured on the shaft 2O is a wide faced spur gear 26 which meshes with, and is driven by, a relatively narrow faced spur gear 27 collar and the inner falce of lthefbacl;

viewed 'n Fig. 3.

that is secured to, and rotatable With, a shaft 28 that is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the back and front plates 21 and 22 respectively. Preferably this shaft 23 is mounted in the position shown in Fig. 3; that is, beneath the drum 19 and gear 26, but it is Within the scopey of my in- Vention to mount Such shaft above such drum 19 and gear 26 or in any other position in the housing relative thereto. In addition to being, rotatably mounted in the back and frontplates 21|` and 22 respectively, such shaft28is also slidablymounted Within bearings, and on this shaft 28 is securedL by set'screvv 29 a collar 30,and between the plate 21 is a compression spring 31 which tends to force the shaft 28 to the left, as i Secured to the face of the spur gear 27 on the face adjacent the inner face of the front plate 22 is a piny 32Whi-ch is adapted to engage in any one ofA a pluralityof holes 33 arranged in a circle around the shaft 28 so. that, when the shaft 28 is forced to the l ft, as viewed in Fig. 3, by the compression Vspring 31, the pin 32, engagwith a non-circular hole ink which fits ing with one or. the other of holes or perforatioiis 33, locks fore the drum 19, against rotation, The left. hand endof the shaft 23 is provided the corresponding non-circular end of a crank handle 34 which is, utilized, to` rotate the Staa 2e."V

The operation of, my improved device is as follows, Vit being, assumed that the) awning 13 isin the position shown in Fig. 1 and that it is4 desired to furl such awning or raise thefouter endthereof into such a position that. the frame 12 will extend substantially forwardly to the Wall 10'. The operator will insert the non-circular crank 34 into the non-circular hole of the shaft`28 bypressing on such crank, Will compress thespring 31 and move the pin 32,

out from engagement vvith the hole or perforation 3 3 in which it Was located. shaft 28 may now be rotated, pressure being exerted against the tension of thespring 31 to heepthev pin 32 out of engagement With the holes 33, andthe spur gear 27 lengages With the gear 26, and rotates the shaft 20,

andftherefore the' drum 19, to Windup the` cord 16 onto such drum, thereby'raising the outer end of the awning and movement continuing will bring the frame 12 into. substantial parallelism With the-Wall10. After the awning, 13 is; in the` desired position, pressure on theshaft 28 is removed Whereupon Athe spring 31'Will force lthe shaft 28 to such shaft 28, and thereend of thek The While the invention has been shown as applied to an outside drive mechanism, it. is to be understood that I may extend.4 the shaft 28 through the Wall 10, reversing the positions of1 the gears 27. and 26 and the drum 19 on their respectiveshafts andV that the device when so located Will operate equally Well with the position in which it has been shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. An improvedA awning operating. mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft, al drum,v

secured thereto and to Which the` awning operating cords are attached, av gear secured to said shaft, a second shaft mounted parallel to, andl slidable, longitudinally withrespect to, gear securedto said secondshaft and engaging with the first 'gear to rotate the drum, locking gear on said second shaft and movable into and out of locking position by thelongitudinal movement ofy said second shaft.

2. An improved awning operating mechanisin comprising a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, a` Winding drum andi a Wide faced gear secured to, and r0- tatable with, said.` shaft, a second shaft rotatably mounted in. said housing parallel to the first saidshaft and movable longitudinally With respect thereto, anarrovv faced gear secured to saidA second shaft; and'meshing with, and driving, the first ear, c0- operating locking members on sai narrow faced gear and in thehousing adaptedto lock the second shaftfagainst rotationy and' dinally'to move said locking members out. of lock1ng association and thereafter .rotatesaid second.` shaft to cause a rotationofthe first shaft and Winding drum in either Vdirection.

In testimony whereof, I have signedlimy.v

name to this specication.

Jas. n. MacLean.

said rst shaft, a,

means including a pin secured to the` lio 

